Huggies Swimpants are NOT Diapers

Have you ever bought a baby product product just because everyone you know likes that product? And because you trust their judgment as being, well, good and like your own? Hmm. Well, the Huggies Little Swimmers Disposable Swimpants were that product for me.

In case you’re unfamiliar with this product, the Huggies Little Swimmers Disposable Swimpants (try saying that really fast) are designed to be used by babies and toddlers in the water. These swimpants are “special in that they can be used in place of a traditional diaper in the water. They feature an easy to use design that goes on like underwear. They boast a colorful design that could work for either a boy or girl child.

I bought the Huggies Little Swimmers Disposable Swimpants for around $19 last summer, when my first daughter was around 16 months.

In the beginning of our relationship, I loved these swimpants. But then things kind of went sour due to my own high expectations for what a swimpant posing as a diaper could and should do. *sigh. But, before I get into that, let me first say what I, in the beginning, really, really liked about these swimpants.

I liked that they seemed to do something magical with pool/sea water. Seriously. I would allow my daughter to play in the water for hours, and, in getting out, she’d never have the dreaded “buggy butt” that plagues swimming babies and toddlers.

I also liked that they were cute and easy to put on and take off. As mentioned previously, these swimpants go on like underwear. They come off, kind of like a Huggies Pull-Up diaper (side, adhesive openings).

But, and as I learned from my first pee-soaked car seat after one of my daughter’s swims, these swimpants are not diapers at all. They are swimpants. They don’t hold in liquids, and that’s their magic. And when I say they don’t hold in liquids, I mean ALL liquids, including runny poop! Oh, they do hold in really solid poop, if that’s any consolidation.

So, what does this mean? Well, two things. 1) It can possibly explain why children’s pools are always warmer and ickier feeling than adult pools ,and 2) this explains why these swimpants do their stated job so great.

So would I recommend these diapers to other parents? Well, yes. In the pool, these swimpants are awesome. They do their job. They keep out pool and sea water and do prevent “buggy butts.” But, and I can not stress this enough, they are NOT diapers. When your kid gets out of the pool, put them in a real diaper. Please!

About Jessica

Jessica lives in the Washington, DC metropolitan area with her husband and two girls. Once upon a time, pre-motherhood, she did many things as a “serious-looking” woman who managed to successfully balance a reality TV addiction with a career and academic pursuits. She's now a serious-acting woman whose primary job is raising her children. She writes, reads, fantasizes about minivans, and takes midday naps. She enjoys (among many other things) dancing to 80s music, photography, laughing out loud (at, usually, inappropriate moments), and writing about writing, being a writer, and becoming fearless on her blog Jessica F. Hinton

Comments

That is actually the point (and public pool requirement) of swim diapers: that they contain solids and do not hold liquids. Regular diapers are a drowning hazard which is why public pools require swim diapers. You can also use a pocket-style cloth diaper without the insert as a swim diaper. I find it holds the poop in better, including the runny kind.